As usual, the game is defined by the haves and the have-nots, and the ever-widening gulf between them. Alabama and LSU and Southern Cal and the rest—the giants of the Big Six conferences that run the Bowl Championship Series system—can really only compete with each other. But if you're not one of those powers in the super-conference ... or if your conference is “super” in name only (or “Big” in name only, right, Big East?) ... or if you're not in one of those leagues or even on the bowl-subdivision level ... you're just part of the unwashed masses.

And the name on your jersey or helmet won't save you.

It's not quite college basketball-style parity, and probably never will be. But on weekends like this, the parity keeps spreading—and year after year, it shocks the nation even less.

Appalachian State's win at Michigan, for instance, took place five years ago Saturday, and no one can forget what a seismic event it was in the sport. It didn't matter that Michigan was not the Michigan it had been accustomed to being that season—that was two head coaches ago, in fact—or that Appalachian State was the back-to-back defending FCS national champs. There was just not ever supposed to be such a thing as Appalachian State 34, Michigan 32, in the Big House.

If that game were played today and that score flashed across screens, or the updates in-progress, drawing a national audience toward the broadcast ... well, would it draw a national audience to it? Does all of America, much less college football America, stop what it's doing and glue itself to whatever device is tracking it to see if the unthinkable can really happen?

No. Because it's not unthinkable anymore.

Ohio over Penn State was not unthinkable, mainly because Ohio has blossomed the past four seasons under Frank Solich and because, well, Penn State was not the usual Penn State even before the scandal broke.

Youngstown State is no scrub, although its glory years were in the 1990s under Jim Tressel, while Pitt is on its fourth coach in two seasons.

Nevada hasn't sneaked up on anybody in at least three seasons, dating back to when it ruined Boise State's BCS chances late in 2010. (This time, it ruined the re-opening of Cal's venerable on-campus stadium, and possibly coach Jeff Tedford's job security).

Besides Oklahoma and, possibly, Wisconsin, none of those big-name programs is in the national title hunt; some aren't even in their conference division hunts. Still, those were games that most expected to help ease those teams into their seasons. In another time and place, they'd be considered cupcakes. No one who's paid any attention recently should ever consider such games cupcakes anymore.

No, you have to go the route taken by Oklahoma State, defending Big 12 and Fiesta Bowl champion. Sure, Savannah State is on the same FCS level as Youngstown State (and Appalachian State). It also won four games in its previous three seasons, and last year lost a conference game (in the MEAC, to Bethune-Cookman) 59-3.

It was a paycheck game, for a reported $385,000 ... and the Cowboys got their money's worth, winning 84-0 with Mike Gundy calling off the dogs before halftime.

Cringe at the score and castigate Oklahoma State for scheduling such a debacle; that's fair. But keep in mind, from here forward, what the alternative is and whether it's worth it for programs trying to get to or stay among the haves.

Ohio 24, Penn State 14. Youngstown State 31, Pitt 17. And so on. They may not quite be the norm yet. But they're definitely no longer the exception.